Two explosions in the Sadr City neighbourhood of north Baghdad ahead of Friday prayers killed three people and wounded at least eight, security and medical officials said.

The twin blasts struck at around 12:30 pm (0930 GMT) as worshippers were gathering for prayers on the Muslim day of rest, and came after the conclusion of the Eid festival on Thursday.

Medics at Al-Sadr General Hospital and Imam Ali Hospital, both nearby, said three people were killed and eight wounded in the attacks, while an interior ministry official put the toll at three dead and 11 hurt.

A police officer at the scene of the blasts said they were caused by mortar fire. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

Among the wounded was Nasser al-Saadi, an official in the movement loyal to anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the medics said.

The explosions came a day after the conclusion of the three-day festival of Eid, which had been relatively calm after violence during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan left 409 people dead. Friday's unrest takes to 238 the number of people killed in attacks nationwide this month, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials.